Dame Vera Lynn's Amsterdam

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WHY AMSTERDAM? It’s a very pretty city, has some beautiful old buildings and I love walking along the canals and taking in the view. It’s so close to – but so different to anywhere in Great Britain. It’s also the sort of place you can visit at any time of the year, and still have a lovely time. I also adore the people: they’ve always given me such a warm welcome.

ANYTHING SPECIAL I SHOULD PACK? Well, you have to take a good pair of shoes if you’re planning on walking along the canals. Perhaps a pair of cycle clips, too, if you’re intending to go cycling.

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO? I’ve visited the city a number of times, sometimes to attend a charity ball, and the first thing I always do when I have a chance is to take a cruise along the canals. It’s the perfect way to admire the city’s many fine buildings and soak up the atmosphere of the place.

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO STAY? I’ve usually stayed at the Hilton (0031 20 710 6000; hilton1.com; €219/£175), and have never had any complaints. It’s a first-rate hotel, and is very handy for everywhere.

WHERE WOULD YOU MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK? I like to stop off for a coffee at somewhere like Café de Jaren (625 5771; cafedejaren.nl; Nieuwe Doelenstraat 20-22) – it boasts a perfect location by a canal.

WHICH IS THE BEST PLACE FOR LUNCH? I like the Dutch-style open sandwiches they serve at bakeries – they’re just the job if you want a light snack, and are usually enough to keep me going until dinner time.

AND FOR DINNER? I like the Haesje Claes (624 9998; haesjeclaes.nl; Spuistraat 273-275), a traditional and charming Dutch restaurant in the historic heart of the old city. The food’s delicious, and the interior is beautifully decorated and has so much character.

WHERE WOULD YOU SEND A FIRST-TIME VISITOR? You have to visit the Anne Frank House – because it tells the terribly sad story of the poor little Jewish girl who, of course, met such a tragic end during the German occupation. Everyone who goes should learn about the terrible suffering experienced by Jews during the war.

WHAT SHOULD I AVOID? The city’s Red Light District might not be to many people’s liking. We passed it once, and I remember seeing some girls sitting in a window. That’s something I’ll never forget, believe me.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING HOME? I’ve picked up lots of little souvenirs there over the years – blue and white clogs, Dutch houses and even a windmill, all in china.

ANYWHERE THAT ISN’T YOUR KIND OF TOWN? I’ve found something of interest in just about everywhere I’ve visited. I’ll never forget singing in Rotterdam after the war, and even though it had suffered terrible damage, I still found nice restaurants and other places to visit.

Dame Vera Lynn is writing a book about her wartime tour of Burma. If any readers’ relatives served there and met her, please send your memories to: Burma Book, PO Box 105, Hassocks, BN6 0EF

The Blue Sheep (0031 6 2962 3499; thebluesheep.net; doubles from £93) is a family home, run as a b & b by Jan Willem Scholten and his Italian wife Novella. It is a former artisan’s cottage, dating in part from 1600. Inside, family spirit and designer style rule.

Where to eat Koevoet (Lindenstraat 17; 20 624 0846; reservations essential) may be a folksy, very traditional Dutch café, but the food comes from a wildly talented Sicilian family that supplies home-made pastas, their own sausages, and other fine flavours of the south. More expensive is Envy (Prinsengracht 381; 20 344 6407; envy.nl), where a battery of chefs produces some of the most inventive new-Dutch cuisine in town. Go for individual menus, or share five or six dishes in haute-tapas style.

New film museum EYE (eyefilm.nl), the former Netherlands Film Museum, has moved to an aerodynamic zigzag of a new building that is already a hot city hangout. The collection – ranging from 19th-century film through such rarities as hand-painted silent movies to 20th-century classics and the present day – is world class. There’s a permanent display, including pods for private viewing, but the true attractions are a varied daily programme and festivals, such as the Stanley Kubrick retrospective (June 21 to September 9). EYE has become an instant Amsterdam landmark, with a waterside café-restaurant worth a visit even if you’re not taking in a film.